Peez & Ques started with the hope of making the world a little greener. Using old magazines, mailers, etc, I cut and paste collage-inspired designs on to recycled note-cards. I try to spotlight smaller businesses doing their best to keep it earth-friendly. I also feature handmade products and other small businesses and events.

Monday, December 24, 2007

They just opened a Whole Foods near our house. To say I am thrilled would be a gross understatement. I try to buy most of my groceries at Trader Joes to take it easy on the pocket book, but there are those hard-to-find essentials you can find only at Whole Foods. On one of my treasured trips to WF I came to face to face with a cookie made by Liz Lovely. I'll never pass up the opportunity to try a new cookie that is vegan.

I bought the cookie half expecting it to taste much like a cardboard box with chocolate chips and to have a leathery texture. You can imagine my surprise when I bit into the Liz Lovely cookie and found myself reminiscing of my last escapade with cookie dough ice cream. The cookie was almost like cookie dough; moist, and certainly not low on the taste spectrum. Now, after this first bite I went straight to the wrapper to understand exactly the loveliness I was consuming.

Liz Lovely's tag line is "Baking a Difference," and they've certainly baked a difference in my world and the whole wide world. I've have found a little piece of heaven with a cookie that is vegan, sustainable, socially responsible, Fair Trade, Non-GMO, and organic. Come on people, what's to stop you? Check out Liz's cookies on www.lizlovely.com You can shop online or check to see if your local natural grocers carry them.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

I always feel like there is more I can do to help those less fortunate than myself. Between work, personal and social obligations, there is little left of my own time to donate to local charities. One thing I do everyday for hours is use the Internet. It would be too good to be true if I were able to double-bill my time to work and charity. Well, apparently Ken and JJ Ramberg had hoped for the same thing when they started GoodSearch.

GoodSearch is a search engine which donates half of its profits to charities and schools. You, the user, designate the charities, and neither you nor the charities spend a cent of your own. They've also recently added GoodShop with the same idea. Various percentages of purchases made on Goodshop go to user designated schools and charities.

So, be sure to go some good searching and good shopping. You have nothing to loose and someone else has everything to gain.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

It's easy to get wrapped up in the shopping frenzy of the holidays. Above and beyond the giving to our loved ones, it's the time of year we are supposed to count our blessings and think of those less fortunate than ourselves. One way to appease our loved ones and those less fortunate all in one fail swoop is with Tom's Shoes.

Tom's has fun colors of shoes that will wow even the toughest of Christmas gift recipients. And, for every pair of shoes you buy, Tom's gives a pair of shoes to a child who cannot afford any of their own.

So spread the Christmas cheer worldwide. Visit TomsShoes.com for a list of local retailers, or to buy online.

My favorite part of Christmas is the giving part. It is fun to buy or make that perfect gift for the special people in your life. Often I spend just as much time and care in wrapping my gifts as I do purchasing them. Christmas morning comes and goes and the living room displays the carnage of wrapping paper that will see nothing more than than a landfill for all it's days to come.

I've recently discovered a great new product. Handmade and chic gift bags. Cut and sewn from organza and other fine fabrics, Enchante Bags are made in various shapes and sizes to fit something as simple as a wine bottle, to that fold-out gift box you got for mom's new blouse. Your gift bag will be sure to wow the socks off your gift recipient, but the best part is that they can reuse the bag next time they give a gift. Not only have you saved them the cutting and taping that goes hand in hand with gift wrapping, but you've given the environment one less holiday wrap to handle.

Monday, December 17, 2007

So you have been checking off your list for Christmas shopping. And you have only one more person to shop for, Grandpa Bob. You would celebrate the nearness to your shopping's end, however you have no idea what to get Grandpa Bob. He has everything he could ever need or want and anything you buy him would just be excess. In fact, he has even told you he wants nothing. In the past you've come up with more sentimental gift ideas, but this year you are at a loss!

I began giving to such people with even more generousity than in previous years when I discovered gifting to non-profits. You'll find most charities and foundations make it possible to make a charitable donation in the name of a specific individual.Some even take it a step further, you can adopt a dolphin, polar bear, or even sponsor a child in a poverty stricken country.

So not only are you helping a worthy cause, but you using the money you'd use buy Grandpa Bob a useless present and showing him you were thinking of him!

Friday, November 9, 2007

Time has flown, but the Craft Republic craft fair is upon us. If you are looking for something to keep you occupied tomorrow come check us out. I know that a craft fair in itself may not be enough to convince you to drive to the Pomona Fairplex, however, there are actually several events to check out tomorrow. Go to their events page

Remember, you can get some of your holiday shopping out of the way while supporting hand-made! And, I would love to see you all!

Friday, November 2, 2007

The aftermath of Halloween... oh how our chompers suffer! A plethora of candy and sweets will be eaten between now and the time you take your New Year's resolution. Now is the time to make sure you, and your kids, are taking proper care of your pearly-whites.

To keep your oral care green, be sure to find earth friendly products. I like Tom's fennel toothpaste. It takes a little bit to get used to non-mint toothpaste, but I find my morning breath is not nearly as offensive, not to mention it won't counter act any natural homeopathy remedies I may be on. Eco-conscious toothpastes are widely available and various brands (and flavors) can be found online. Drugstore.com has a great selection. Remember, you can find green options for every step of oral hygiene; tooth picks, floss, etc.

Not all natural toothpaste contains fluoride. If you do switch to organic you may notice an increase in your cavity count. Remember to swish with a fluoride rinse after you brush and floss. Now, instead of cavities, you can count your good eco-deeds.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Do you get the Daily OM? A couple of years ago, a friend of mine forwarded me an email she received called the Daily OM. I was so inspired by the words I read, I immediately signed up for my daily dose of encouragement.

The Daily OM is advice and guidance to help through everyday dilemmas and struggles. It may help you deal with a suffering friend, or it may help you to meditate on your creativity. If one email a day is simply not enough, you can also request to receive a daily email geared towards your sun-sign, or recommendations of meditation-friendly music.

The Daily OM only takes a minute to read and can make a positive impact on the rest of your day. So, before you tackle your hundreds of work emails take a deep breath and read your Daily OM. Your day depends on it.

Monday, October 29, 2007

I know I've passed along these eco-footprint quizes before, but here's another. This eco-game created by American public Media asks a lot of good questions about your lifestyle. With each step of the game, you can see how many earth's it would take to support you, and the rest of the world, if we all lived with the same habits. I'm a pretty green-savvy gal, and I was very disappointed in my own score. I have some more work to do!

So, go to the Consumer Consequences game. You get to select a character and dress him/her up as ridiculously as you please. (mine was a little old lady sporting a bonnet and black dress buttoned up to the chin) You then choose your hood. Next step is answering the questions about the stuff you trash, the food you buy and the energy you use. When it is all done, you are given an idea of how wasteful, or not, you are. Then, after you've received your score you have the option to learn how to improve your score and compare yourself to other players.

This is a great way to show kids the impact they have, individually, on the earth!

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Who has the time, space and green thumb for home grown organic produce? I sure don't! I am, however, lucky enough to live near grocers who have many organic products.

I also use LocalHarvest.com to find local farmer's markets, farms, restaurants and co-op's carrying organic goods. I can even shop from farmers directly on the site. I love this option to buy online for those shoppers who find organic products hard to find of for more specialty items. It's a great online community for those looking to be a little more organic and sustainable.

I know I needn't remind you, but organic is as good to you as it is the earth!

Friday, October 26, 2007

The shopping frenzy that kicks off the holiday season comes swiftly. And with Black Friday comes craft fairs at churches, school yards and fair grounds. I love craft fairs. The goods are creative, well made, one of a kind and more affordable than items of equal quality at the mall.

If you live in Los Angeles County there are a couple you must check out. The best part is they are before Thanksgiving so you may get almost all your holiday shopping done and be able to avoid the horrific mall crowds entirely! Not to mention, I'll be there!

The Craft Republic Fair is on November 10th. www.crfair.com at the Pomona Fairplex.

Also on November 17th and 18th is the Saint Charles Borromeo School Holiday Boutique in North Hollywood. Part of the proceeds from this boutique go to support the school. Saint Charles Borromeo School10850 Moorpark Ave.North Hollywood, CA 91602(818) 508-5359

Don't forget, craft fairs usually have raffles. So, not only are you getting great stuff, but you might win something too! And most importantly, you are supporting your local small business people.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Most halloween parties and trick-or-treat get-togethers are this weekend. If you haven't already pieced together your perfect costume, then you are in a panic to look like anyone else but yourself at these festivals of candy.

The ultimate earth-friendly halloween costume is of course one that is rented or gently used. In Los Angeles, Fantasy Costume has a huge selection of costumes for pumpkin-carvers of all ages. Use Google, or your local yellow pages to find a costume rental near you. If you prefer to buy and alter a costume, try Ebay. But makes sure it's used to help preserve Mama Earth.If you are handy enough, you can sew an earth friendly costume for you or your kiddos. There are lots of options in organic cotton and bamboo fabric these days. Martha Stewart and other craft websites have lots of costume ideas.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Who doesn't love a little sugar!?! I'm talkin' candy! With Halloween hastily approaching, we must accept that our children, will gorge themselves on sweets of all makes and models. At the very least, being of sound mind and adulthood, we should provide the lil' ghosts and ghouls with candy composed of ingredients they can actually read! No! I do not speak of corn syrup.This year when you buy your treats for Halloween check out naturalcandystore.com or shopnatural.com. You'll be helping the children by not feeding them random chemicals and preservatives, and you'll be supporting companies doing their part to keep the world a greener place. www.peezandques.com

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

The South Bay of California is a place like none other. Beautiful weather, ocean breezes and small beach communities dot the coast off the Santa Monica Bay. Any given day at the beach you'll find the ocean providing fish to local fisherman and waves to surfers and swimmers. But the ocean can provide these things only if we care for it. One group who feared beach-life was in danger was the Heal the Bay organization.Finding itself a dump site for trash and sewage, the Santa Monica Bay needed a hero. In 1985, Heal the Bay held rallies, involved the media and joined in lawsuits already pending against the City of L.A. for environmental abuse. These actions began the greatly needed process of healing for the coast off Los Angeles. Today the bay is not perfect, but much better than is was and is on the right track for further improvement.

It's easy to get involved. Heal the Bay has numerous volunteer opportunities, Adopt-a-beach groups, and of course monetary donations are always helpful. You can also participate in online petitions helping environmental causes, and other causes too of course!

So take a couple minutes for our oceans because it makes a world of difference for future generations.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

We are bombarded with cleaning options for our home, pets and ourself. A good majority of the products out there are not earth friendly. It's bad enough when we slather bottles of chemical-enriched lotions and soaps all over our skin (which by the way is our largest organ and absorbs into our body lotions and soaps that are put on it), but these same products get rinsed down our drains into our water sources during our daily shower or swim at the beach. So not only are you harming yourself, but you are also harming the earth around you.

I'll make it easy for you! Check out the products made by Ecos. They are in recyclable containers, not tested on animals, made with organic essential oils, and earth friendly. They have all the bases covered with products for the kitchen, laundry, personal care and even Rover can benefit from their eco-pet products.

My husband loves using the dish soap to wash down his beloved car, Benny, our Boston Terrier enjoys an after walk refresher with the pet wipes and I dig the hand lotion! What can I say, it's a family affair.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

I've been making a concerted effort to only purchase products that are on the green side. Sustainable, recycled, and recyclable. I'm lucky to live in one of the states that boasts a Trader Joes in every city. And, it was in Trader Joes that I discovered the Preserve toothbrush. It hadn't even occurred to me that a recycled toothbrush existed.

I purchased the brusher of teeth and have to say, I've been pretty happy with it. It is made by Recycline, a company also producing eco-aware tableware for single use, toothpicks and razors. The best part, is when you are done with your toothbrush, tongue cleaner or razor, you can return it to Recycline to have it recycled. And, as if you weren't sold already, they have a postage-paid label you can print off their website, so you don't pay a dime to recycle your goods!

No natural grocer in your area? Preserve products are also sold on their website!

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Investing in the stock market has never been second nature for me, but I do try to keep my investments green. Buying stocks is another way to support businesses doing their part in the fight for sustainability. I'm not suggesting you blindly invest in any company waving a green flag. Do your research and make smart investments.One way to keep up with eco-business is GreenBiz.com. Articles from around the world are updated daily on this website. The stories are about businesses taking sustainability initiatives, statistics and research relating to earth-friendly products or approaches, and anything else you would expect to find in your daily newspaper, but with an eco-twist.

So, turn on your computer, curl up with your morning coffee (fair trade of course!) and catch up on your environmental news.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

I am in recycler's heaven. I have a bin on wheels in my driveway, and anytime I want, I can take my bag of recyclables to the big blue bin and I know they will be properly sorted and recycled. But many people still suffer the pangs of a neighborhood with no recycling. When I first moved to Los Angeles I didn't have the option to recycle in my apartment building. But I went online and found a directory of local recycling centers on Earth 911. I was then able to bag my plastics, glass and paper and take them to a local center for recycling. Some centers will pay you back a deposit on the glass and aluminum but this is dependent upon the state in which you live.

While this is good for individual eco-advocates, I encourage you to talk to your home owners associations and begin a recycling program for your neighborhood or apartment complex. You can do the right thing for Mama Earth and help others in your community to do the same.

Friday, October 5, 2007

My favorite past time is traveling, be it the United States or abroad. I always feel a little guilty flying due to airlines' contribution to pollution. I could talk about air pollution, but I'm referring to the airlines' lack of cooperation on the eco-front. I often keep my empty can or plastic bottle when the flight attendants collect trash knowing my recyclable goods will end up in the garbage. I know, I'm loco for the green movement.I live in California and travel to Hawaii frequently. I get on the computer to compare and book my flight and rental car. I was so happy to discover the Bio-Beetle amongst my car-rental choices. Available for rent in California and Hawaii, the Bio-Beetle is an economical and ecological choice with competitive rental rates and all their cars running on biodeisel.

Daily rates start at about $49 a day. For those who wouldn't be caught dead driving a Beetle, fear not. Quite a few of your choices are various types of Volkswagons, and you do have the option of Jeeps in some locations.

So, traveling west for some warmer weather? Be sure to include the Bio-Beetle as one of your car rental choices!

Thursday, October 4, 2007

One man's junk is another man's treasure, or at least the story goes. If you are anything like me, you find you have more belongings than you do space. A couple times a year I begin a look around my house, especially my garage, and the "everything must go" mentality takes over. My rule is, if it hasn't been used or worn in a year it is not necessary.

I suppose these are belongings that could be considered garbage and used to pack the local land-fill. I know quite a few people who take the opportunity to donate to Goodwill for a small tax deduction. Another option for listing your goods as "up for grabs" is to Freecycle. Freecycle.org directs you to a local email group. You can post any items as long as they are free. I'm sure there are some other requirements so be sure to read the policies. (for example, nudie pics are probably frowned upon) People can contact you about your items and with any luck you'll have one less item of which to keep track.If you prefer a tax break, you may want to try Classified Circles. Much like Ebay, you post your unwanted goods on the online auction. There is no charge for the auction. Even better, the proceeds from the sale go directly to the charity of your choice.

Monday, October 1, 2007

I made a professional and personal commitment to help Mother Earth, and I haven't shut my trap since! I'm sure friends and family have just about had it with my eco-preaching. However, I feel if I don't pass along the knowledge I gain, I might as well do nothing.

You can imagine how thrilled I was when I discovered I could save my breath and instead just post stickers on any available surface! One with the Earth has developed a universal symbol for environmental awareness . This symbol appears on the stickers they've design to help you spread the green message. Put a "turn off" memo on your light switches, or a "please recycle" request near the trash can.

Whether at home or the office these little notes are a friendly reminder to do the right thing for the environment. I like the added bonus of my being able to talk about things other than eco-awareness, and I don't get annoyed glances!

Friday, September 28, 2007

There are a lot of options to tickle my television-watching-fancy. I think the channels on my direct-tv guide go to 800's. And of those hundreds of options I watch only 2 networks religiously; HBO and the Sundance Channel. Thanks to Tivo I can have a life and watch the shows I want. Ah, HBO, what's not too love. I've grown particularly fond of Entourage and enjoy watching familiar places blaze across the screen.

But Sundance I love for completely different reasons. I tune into Sundance for The Green. The brain-child of Robert Redford feeds the eco-conscious by creating a television and web community for them. There are a lot of large corporations who are involving elements of earth-aware activities into their business, but The Green is highlighting businesses that are sustainable through and through. And, more often than not, these are small businesses and individuals. If you haven't tuned in yet, I highly recommend it. If you've vowed to never watch television again then may I suggest The Green website? I know I've posted my company on the Eco-mmunity map. If you are a Mac junkie like I, use Firefox when browsing this site to avoid any problems.

Even though I hail from L.A. County there is still plenty of love in my heart for Etoile Boutique in Orlando. No eastside/westside rivalry here. Word.

Katie brings such fresh and vivid energy to her store and her designs. So when she decided to move her store's location she did it with the enthusiasm of 100 school children on a fieldtrip to the circus.

Monday, September 24, 2007

If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet you'd better get going. Word on the street is if you aren't bringing your own canvas bags to the grocery store you're not ecologically cool! Some stores, like my local Trader Joes, give you a little form to fill out each time you bring your own bags and you are entered into a sweepstakes for free groceries. Think of all the things you won't have to do by bringing your own bags; you won't have to figure out how to store the 100 plus plastic bags under your kitchen sink, you won't have to figure out how to fold 80 brown paper bags the way they were before they were used, (much like re-folding a map for those of you who have tried that.) you won't have to sort through the bags searching for those without holes in the bottom.

There are so many indie designers coming out with very cute totes and what better excuse to buy them than for your groceries...and of course for Mother Earth.

I can usually get all my groceries into 1 large and 2 medium totes. I hit the grocery store about 2 times per week. I stuff all the empty totes into one another and it easy to carry into the store. The cashiers always seemed pleased that they won't have to use their talents in double-bagging with my heavy canvas straps in tow. Once home the bags are very easy to lug up my steep flight of stairs when slung over the shoulder instead of grasped tightly in each hand. And after loading up my fridge the bags get returned to my car for the next grocery store trip. I've found I don't remember them unless they are stored in my car.

I admit, I do use and reuse plastic and brown bags. The plastic bags get loaded up with kitty litter. However I'm trying to come up with a more earth-firendly option for litter toting. If you have any ideas for me let me know. And my brown bags get cut into 8.5" x 11" sheets and fed into my printer. You've probably noticed them in the packaging of my notecards.

On an end note, don't forget to wash your totes. We don't want to be mistaken for anything but sqeaky-clean eco-defenders.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

The larger the city we live in, the more we are aware of our impact on the earth. We see the impact not only of ourselves indivually but also that of our friends and neighbors. I find my fellow city dwellers are much more active in choosing local products/produce, recycling and other earth-aware activities because the impact they are making, positive and negative, is all around them.

When I go back to Colorado, which is a very environmentally conscious state, I still find many people taking for granted their ecological footprint. I know I am speaking in broad generalities, and I know there are exceptions to every rule. However, when someone lives in a place where they are many miles from the closest freeway, they can't see the smog from their backyard and they don't see how many recyclable materials are tossed into the trash, then they may not be aware of their footprint on this earth.

Want a clear view of the ecological-shoes your household is filling? You must check out this site.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

I have an addiction; it's books! There is something relaxing about curling up, and flipping through the paper pages. Though I have a compulsion for many things paper, (recycled of course!) paperbacks and the occasional hardback take the prize. I have stacks of books made to look like decoration, over-flowing shelves and in numerous boxes in the garage. My books can be put in two categories: will be read and re-read, and will be given away. For those books which fall into the latter grouping, I've recently discovered the wonderful online world of used books.

Imagine a world where you received credit for each book you were willing to swap, (I'd already be a millionaire in Book-Land!) and those credits could be used for books you haven't read yet! Well, imagine no more. I give you PaperBackSwap!

Not only do you appease the hungry reader within, but you help the environment by recycling your books! Check them out!

For those of you who prefer to support your local community, which definitely suggest, you need only do an online yellowpages search to find a nearby used bookstore. For those of you in the Southbay, CA, I frequent Daves Olde Book Shop in Manhattan Beach.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

I realized after the fact, that my last post included a lot of information, so I thought I'd explain a few of the links I previously listed in the days to come.

If you have as little as one credit card, then you know the pangs of junk mail. I, on average, receive 2 or more pre-approved credit offers a day. I receive another 3-5 insurance offers a week. Not to mention catalogs, circulars and local coupons. Don't even get me started on the barrage of letters and postcards that flood my mailbox during election time.

For your catalogs I suggest calling each company individually and requesting to be removed from their catalog. Chances are you can find anything you need from that company's website. In fact, it is probably much more up to date than a paper catalog that had to be pritned and mailed.

A great solution for the credit and insurance offers is the opt-out process. Visit the website , fill out the form and mail it. I was recently married so filled out one in my maiden name and another in my married name, just to be sure.

You can read the website for all the nasty details, but bottom line; you send this form and the offers diminish tremendously. Bye-bye Junk mail!

Of course some companies are getting creative with their junk-mail. Some in the paper biz are simply turning it into recycled paper. You all know what I've been doing with my junk mail: Peez & Ques

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Starting an earth-friendly business has been VERY educational. There are tid-bits of information which come as no suprise. But then, there are other readings you come across and you are shocked! I suppose just becoming aware of your actions; your own footprint is the best way to start. Your neighbors see the new retractable clothesline you've installed on your deck, and maybe it causes a positive reaction in them towards eco-awareness. The bottom line is, you must practice what you preach.

I've come across hundreds of websites for a greener world in my research process, and I thought I'd share some of them with you. Take what you will from them. If you've found some good sites I'd love to see them, pass them along. Oh...and thank you fellow greeniacs!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

I have many new note-card designs.... I had a lot of fun with these. A little more popular culture than my others. The robot I think is my new "character" of choice. He's dressed in 3-d glasses ( I remember wearing a pair of these only once, but man they made an impact!), or as a devil... I'm sure he will be revistited over and over. He's reminiscent of our little Star Wars buddy.... I get so wrapped up in website designs and marketing, that when I get to design and make my cards it is reinvigorating. My older designs are all still on my websiteAlways hand-made by moi.... always recycled.....always recyclable.....

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Katie owns and operates Etoile Boutique in Orlando FL. She is moving to a bigger, better locale and we are all very excited for her. She is a designer herself (great stuff), and her shop hosts all kinds of great indie designs. (and my cards!)

If you live in Orlando or will be there visiting, be sure to check out her new shop.New Address:2436 E. Robinson St.Orlando, FL 32803*just turn into the Covert/Beta/Etoile Parking lot and you will see our little house!*

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Okay all... so we are looking for ethical, edgy, crafty-types to become members of the San Diego Craft Mafia. We promote you, you promote us, we promote each other. You feelin' the love? The goal of the San Diego Craft Mafia is to help individual indie businesses be more successful by pooling resources and finding creative ways to market and co-market our products. At the root of this overwhelming desire to succeed, is our mutual respect and kindness for and towards one another.

To get a better idea of where the Craft Mafia started check out:Craft Mafia

About Me

I've always loved the arts. I recently started a stationery company so that I may create freely while also looking out for Mother Earth. I'm adjusting to life with my new baby daughter and when working my cat and boston terrier are nearby either napping, harassing one another, or harassing me. I live near the ocean but usually the ebb and flow of the nearby road is what I hear most. So, I keep the tunes flowing, and all is well.